Coin-controlled game apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. HAMBURGER.

COIN CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

No. 533,391. Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 12.

M. HAMBURGER.

00m CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

No. 533,391. Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

MAX HAMBURGER, OF MILWAUKEE, WIsooNsIN.

COIN-CONTROLLED GAlVlE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,391, dated January29, 1895.

Application filed October 19, 1893. Serial No. 488,583. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAX HAMBURGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, State of Wiscousin, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled GameApparatus; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to coin controlled game apparatus, and consists inthe matters hereinafter described and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention: Figure Us afront elevation of a game apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is asomewhat enlarged horizontal sectional View of the same, taken on line2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view of thecoin-controlled device for freeing the lock, taken on line 3- -3 ofFig.2. Fig. 4: is a vertical, detail sectional view of the same, takenon line 44 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the arrangementof the several coin passages or chutes. Fig. 6 is an end view of thelock for securing the door in its closed position.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A designates a suitable casing orhousing, in the upper end of which is provided a coinslot a. A glassplate Bis arranged in the front of the casing A, and immediately in rearof said glass plate is located a board 0, in the surface of which areinserted suitable pins 0 c, which are preferably arranged in quincunxorder, as shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, anddispersed over substantially the entire surface of the board or backingO. Adjacent to the lower end of said board, said pins are arranged so asto direct a coin into one or the other of a number of coin-slots in thebase of the frame A, said pins 0 a being arranged in rows in the mannershown in Fig. 1.

A suitable casing A is located beneath the upper casing A, and isprovided with one or more compartments D, D and D for coins, with whichthe respective chutes d d and d communicate. One or more of saidcompartments or receptacles, as for instance, compartments D D areprovided with suitable doors E E, which in the particular constructionillustrated in the drawings, are hinged to a dividing wall e, andadapted to open outwardly, in an obvious manner. Suitable springs E Eare secured to the dividing wall 6, and arranged to bear at theirforward free ends against the edges of the doors E E so as to cause saiddoors to open as soon as they are freed by the locks.

Separate locks are provided for the doors, and separate and independentcoin-controlled devices are arranged to operate in connection with saidlocks.

Upon the inside of the free edge of each door E is provided a staple orsocket e for engagement with the bolt of the lock. Said lock consists ofa suitable casing F, and a spring projected bolt f, from which isarranged to extend a pin f. Abell crank Gis pivotally supported at gupon the upper end of a post G, and is provided with an arm g extendinginto the path of the pin f, and with another arm carrying a ring or eyeg at its end.

Push rods H H are arranged in the manner shown and are normally pressedoutwardly by means of suitable springs h 72, said push rods beingarranged in line with the openings in the rings or eyes 9 9 carried bythe bell cranks G G, so that under ordinary circumstances, if one of thepush rods were pressed inwardly, its inner end would simply enter thering or eye at the end of the bell crank, and would have no effect uponthe bolt.

In order to enable the locks controlling the doors to be freed bymeansof the push rods, I find it convenient to arrange suitable coin chutes II, within the compartments D D, into which coins which pass downwardlythrough the chutes d d are discharged. The lower ends of these chutes II extend downwardly between the inner ends of the push rods H H and therings or eyes g 9 upon the bellcranks G G, and are cut away as shown inFigs. 2 and 4., so as to permit of the passage of the ends of the pushrods therethrough, and said lower ends are provided with shoulders 7:7:arranged to extend into the path of a coin descending through saidchutes, so as to ob struct its passage. Light springs 1; t are arrangedto extend around the sides and across the rear portions of the lowerends of said chutes so as to engage with and retain a coin resting uponthe shoulders 2' 'L', the entire rear walls of said chutes being removedat this point. It follows from this construction that a coin which hasbeen discharged from the lower end of chute d and has passed downwardlyinto the lower end of chute I will be temporarily held in line with therespective push rod H by the springs z" 2" so that an inward pressureupon said push rod will bring the inner end of said rod into engagementwith the coin, press the coin bodily through the opening in the rear ofthe chute, and into engagement with the ring or eye g on the bell crankG, and thus serve to oscillate said bell crank upon the pivotal support,so as to cause the angular arm g to press against the pin fand retractthe boltf of the lock. This operation will free the bolt from the stapleor socket e, and permit the spring Eto throw the doorE open. As shownmore particularly in Fig. 6, the rear end of the bolt f is provided witha notch J for engagement with a spring actuated latch or pawl j pivotedupon the casing F of the lock, and this pawl is arranged to engage withsaid notch when the bolt is fully retracted, to temporarily hold saidbolt retracted, for a purpose to be presently described.

It is obvious that if the bolt were not thus held in its retractedposition and were continaully pressed against the bell crank so as tohold the ring or eye 9 against the face of the coin, said coin would begripped between the end of the push rod and said ring or eye, and wouldnot be free to drop when said push rod was released. Upon the inner endof said push rod is provided an angularly projecting finger J adapted toengage with the spring pawl or latch j, when the push rod has beenpartially returned by the spring h to its normal position, so as todisengage said latch or pawl from the notch in the bolt, and permit saidbolt to shoot forward into position for engagement with the staple orsocket c. It follows from this construction, that when the push rod isfirst released and begins its return movement, it will first move awayfrom the ring or eye g so as to release the coin, and as said returnmovement is completed, the lateral finger J will operate in the mannerdescribed to free the bolt, when said bolt, pressing against the angulararm g of the bell crank, will return said bell crank to its normalposition. In this condition of the parts,

the door E may be pressed shut, and the bolt f will automatically engagewith the staple or socket e, in a familiar manner.

By the described arrangement of the pins 0 0 upon the board 0, at thefront of the machine, so as to form obstructions in the downward path ofthe coin, the ultimate point of exit of said coin from the upper part Aof the casingis rendered uncertain, and consequently it is uncertainwhich compartment D, Dor D in the lower casing A, said coin will enter.

As shown in the drawings, the chutes d d discharge into the rearcompartment D, so that any coins which pass downward through said chuteswill be retained in said compartment, and will not be exposed in case ofthe opening of a door, while the chutes d d being arranged to dischargeinto the compartments D D with which the doors communicate, any coinswhich descend through said chutes will be exposed by the opening of saiddoors. Furthermore, I prefer to provide suitable hoppers L L into whichcoins dropping from the chutes I I will descend, said hoppers beingarranged to discharge said coins into the compartments D D so that acoin which operates to free the locking mechanism to permit a door toopen, will ultimately find its way into the compartment which isprotected by said door.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A game apparatus comprising a suitable casing provided at its upperend with a coin slot, a plurality of obstructions arranged in agenerally quincunx order, below said coin slot, a plurality of chutes inthe lower part of said casing, a plurality of compartments orreceptacles into which said chutes are arranged to discharge, one ormore doors communicating with certain of said compartments, and one ormore suitable coin actuated locking devices located in other ones ofsaid compartments and adapted to normally secure said doors in theirclosed positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a suitable casing provided in its upper end withacoin slot, and in its lower end with a plurality of compartments, aplurality of chutes arranged to discharge into said compartments, doorscommunicating with certain of said compartments, bolts for normallyholding said doors closed, levers for retracting said bolts, suitablepush rods in line with said levers, and suitable means for temporarilyholding coins between the inner ends of said push rods and the free endsof said levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

MAX HAMBURGER. Witnesses:

JOHN E. WILEs, M. M. WILns.

